Apparatus for feeding stock to furnaces.



N0. 653,ll0. Patented July 3, I900.

- I T. MORRISON.

.APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STOCK TU'FURNACES.

(Application filed Jan. 23, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR No. 653,110. Patented July 3, I900. T. monmsou.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STOCK T0 FURNACES.

(Application filed Jan. 23. 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR THE N'onms PETERS o0. PHQTO-LITNCL. wxsumumu, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS MORRISON, OF BRADDOOK, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING STOCK TO FURNACES.-

SLPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 653,110, dated J' 11 3,1900. Application filed January 23, 1899- Serial No. 703,074. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS MORRISON, of Braddock, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Apparatus for Feeding Stock toFurnaces, of which thefollowing'is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the. accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 shows in end elevation a blast-furnace-charging apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section through the top of the blast-furnace and hoppers,showing the op erating levers and one of the cars inside ele- Vation.

My invention relates to improved. means for introducing charges of ore,fuel,and flux as required into the top of a blast-furnace. Its object isto obtain a more uniform dis tribution of the stock than has heretoforebeen possible by any of the methods in' common use. At present the usualapparatus for charging blast-furnaces comprises a hopper with a conicalbell, which closes the opening at its bottom. This apparatus is placedat the top of the furnace and is made gas-tight at the joints. The stockis placedainthe hopper while the opening is closed by the bell, and whenthe necessary amount of stock has been supplied the bell is lowered andthe stock is allowed to slide down its inclined surface into thefurnace, s'upplementarybells being sometimes providedto form gas-sealsand'the apparatus being provided with closing-doors and other accessoryparts familiar to those skilled in the art. It is evident that by thisarrangement the stock introduced into the furnace is thrown more or lessagainst the side of the furnace structure, leaving a hollow ordepression in the center,where the ascending currents of gas find lessresistance and through which they pass more readily than through theportions nearer. the walls. Such inequality of distribution anddischarge tends to causeirregular working of the furnace, and it is suchirregular distribution, with its attending disadvantages, that Iovercome by my invention.

In the'drawings, 2 represents a masonry or stack at the top of ablast-furnace.

3 is the main hopper.

4is the supplemental hopper, situate above the main hopper and connectedtherewith by a throat 5. This supplemental hopper and the throat,withtheirbell and accessory parts,

may be omitted or: other parts substituted therefor without departurefrom my invention as defined in the broader claims ofthis specification.r

6 is the bell of the supplemental hopper, which closes the opening atthe base of the throat 5 and has a vertical tubular stem 7, connectedwith can operating-lever 8, which is operated bya motor 9, adapting thebell to be movedvertically in order to open or close the opening at thebase of the throat.

10 is the skip or' car mounted upon a track ll ofjany suitableconstructionand adapted to discharge the stock into the mouth of thehopper at. v p

1 .The bell which closes the opening at the base of the main hopper 3and which constitutes the lea'ding'feature of my invention is made intwo or more sections, the outer sections ors'ection being annular inform. In the drawings I show this bell. constituted of. two suchsections-an outer annular section 12, which in cross-section is 7preferably. of inverted-V shape, so as to defleet the stockfallingithereupon both toward the center and toward its circumference,and a central section 13, preferably conical in form, which fits againstthe under side of the central opening i of the annular section 12. Theannular section thus normally rests upon and is supported by the centralsection 13 when the parts are in' closed position. The section 13 has anupwardly-projecting stem 14. connected thereto by a link 14 and passingthrough the. hollow stem 7 of the bell 6. The stem 14 'is operated bysuitable means, such as a lever 16 and cylinder 17, swinging links 18(not of my invention) being preferably interposed to secure parallelmotion. The outer section ,12 of .the.be1l.has a suitable number ofstems 19, which extend vertically through the cover of the main hopperand are provided at their ends with stops 20,constituted,preferab1y,byadj ustable 'nnts,whi ch at the lowest positionof the section 12 (indicated by dotted lines) rest upon stopsconstituted, preferably, by springs 21, supported by straps 22,depending from beams 23.

When the central section 13 is raised by the lever 16 and supports theouter section 12 in contact with the lower the said annular sectionresting upon and its central opening being closed by the conical surfaceof the middle section 13. \Vhen it is desired to open the hopper 3 bylowering its bell, the lever 16 is operated so as to lower the stem 14and the bell-section 13, which in descending carries with it the outerbell-section 12 until the latter reaches the level shown Up to thispoint by dotted lines in Fig. 2. in their descent the central openingofthe annular section 12 is closed by the central section 13; but when theparts arrive at the level just indicated the stops 20 on the stems 19'ofthe annular section engage their sp'ringstops 21 and are stoppedthereby, so as -to support the annular section 12 and to restrain itfrom any further down motion. Then as the central section 13continuesits-descent .j it leaves the annular section 12 suspended bythe links and opens the central opening thereof,"as'shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2. In. closing the hopper the central section 13 is.raised by operation of the lever 16 until it reaches 'and'clos'esthecentral opening of the ann'ularsection 12, and'as itcontinues its ascentit raises the annular section into contact with the hopper 3, as shownin full lines. Itis evident that by adjustment of the stops 20 theannular section may be caused to move with the central section 13throughout any desired portionof the vertical travel of the: and theextent of motion of the cencontrollable by varying thelatter,tr'al'section is motion of the'operating-cylinder.

hopper formly the operator lowers the stem 14. The first eiiect of'thisis tocausethe entire bell, com prising the sections 12 13, to descendandto. open an annular space between the outer edge 12am the edge 24of'the hopthrough which a portion of the stock at of the section per,theou'ter part of the hopper3 will drop and will be deflected toward thewall of the fur- .nace. When the parts of the bell reach the lowestposition desired for the section 12, this section is suspendedand heldfrom fur therdescent by-the engagement of 'the'stops 2O a n'd 21,"anda's thecen't'ralse'ction '13 'continues to 'descend-itopens thecentral openstock which is at the middle of the hopper bell of thehopper 3 is closed, the

edge 24: of the main hopper,

ingef'thes'ecticn '12, and the -portion of the will drop through saidopening and will be distributed in the furnace at a more centralposition than that portion of the sto'ck'which is discharged through theannular opening around the section 12. After the stock has thus beendischarged into thefurnace the sections of the bell are again raisedinto the closed position. (Shown by full lines in the drawings.) In caseit is desired to use the bell 12 13 as a single bell this can be done byremoving the stop 20, so as to permit the section 12 to travel withthesection 13 to the full extent or its movement. The gases pass offthrough the side off-take, (shown at 25 in Fig. 2.) i

The advantages of my invention have been indicated generally and will beappreciated by those skilled in the art. The apparatus is simple "ande-iiective and secures a 'very good distributionof the-stock inthefurnace.

Within the scope of myi'nvention as herein defined changes may be madein the construction and arrangement of the parts, since What I claimis 1. A blast-furnace having a closedtopa-nd aside gas-olftake, andprovided with a feeding apparatus comprising a yertica-lmovablc annularsection having an intermediate ridge arranged to split thestook'and'distribute it in the 'form'of a central core and an annularsu'rround-ingcore, and a closed-central bell of larger diameter than theopening in the an-- nular section, and seated upwa'rdlyagainst it, andmechanism 'for movingthe'bell downwardly beyond the limit of motion'ofthesection, substantially-as described.

2. A blast-furnace h'a'ving a closed topand a sidegas-oiitake,a'charging-b'ell comprising an annularsection having an intermediateridge arranged to split the stock and distribute it in the form ofacentralco're and an annular outer core and a central closed sectionarranged to close the openi-ngof the The main hopper3 receives itscharge cf I stock from the throat of the supplemental 4, from which itis discharged uni by lowering the bell 6, and when a. sulficientamountof stock has been-accumua lated in the main hopper 3 and it isdesired to discharge thesaine into the 'blast furnace;

annularsection and support the same, means for mo'viiig'the centralsectionvertically, and a stop adapted "to'liinit themotionoffthea'nnular section; substantially asdescribe'd.

3. A blast furnace havingaclosed tep 'and a side ga's-oft'take,acharging-bell comprising an'annular section having an intermediateridge arranged to split the stock and distribute'it in theform ofa'centralcoreand'an annular surrounding'core and mused-central sectionarranged 'to-close the opening-of the annular section and support thesame, means for moving the central section vertically, and a spring-stopadapted to limitthe motionof the annular section; substantially asdescribed.

4.. A blast-'furnace-having a closed tepand a'sidez'gas-oftta'ke, a charging-bell comprising anann'ul'ar section having an intermediateridgeai'ran'ged-to split thestockand distribute it 'inthe form ofa'c'entral' -c'oreand an a'nnular surrounding core and 'aclosedcentralsection arranged to close the opening of the IIO annular section andsupport the same, means for moving the central section vertically, andan adjustable stop adapted to limit the motion of the annular section;substantially as described.

5. A blast-furnace havinga closed top and a side gas-offtake, acharging-bell comprising a movable annular section having anintermediate ridge arranged to split the stock and distribute it in theform of acentral core and an annular surrounding core and a movableclosed middle section adapted to close the opening of the annularsection and to support the stock; one of said sections being movabledownwardly beyond the limit of motion of the other, and means forvarying independently the extent of the motions of said sections;substantially as described.

6. A blast-furnace having a closed top and a side gas-oflftake, a maincharging-hopper, a bell for said hopper comprising a movable annularsection having an intermediate ridge arranged to split the stock anddistribute it in the form of a central core and an annular surroundingcore and a movable closed middle section adapted to close the opening ofthe annular'section and to support the stock; a

surrounding core, and a closed central section having a central supportand arranged to close the opening in the annular section and support thesame, and rods secured to the annular section and extending through theclosed cover or top and provided with stops, the central section beingmovable down- Wardly beyond the limit of motion of the annular section;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS MORRISON.

Witnesses:

J. E. MITCHELL, G. E. F. GRAY.

